


Where ever we go (you are my home)

by Hawkkitty44



Category: Riverdale (2017)
Genre: Angst, Archie is in pain tm, Canon Divergent, F/M, Fluff, Miscommunication, Past Drug Use, Pining, Recovering addiction, bughead start but not bughead friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-02 03:15:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17256569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hawkkitty44/pseuds/Hawkkitty44
Summary: Penelope’s advice doesn’t lead her home rather Betty ends up with Archie and Jughead. The answers are out there whether they like it or not





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I played with the whole seasons thing in Riverdale cause I want to do a late Christmas thing haha
> 
> This needs to be gone through more but I’ll do that later ;) 
> 
> Also this assumes a more game obsessed Jug I don’t mean to sound like I’m bashing him!!

The silence is deafening as the red-headed older woman merely stares at the blonde. When Betty raced over here from the set up for her parents and their old friends the last thing she wanted was to be thrown into more non-answers. Was this worth it? It was hard to tell as she took a deep breath unwilling to show that she was the one without the power.

“He poisoned the chalice I get that much Ms Blossom, but that still doesn’t explain how you got it—it doesn’t explain how he just decided to kill himself in that car. You aren’t telling me the whole truth I know it”.

Putting all her strength in her words, she feels weak and annoyed and at her ropes end. This was supposed to be the lead that cleared things up yet all it did was leave her on an off-trail adventure. Her fists were balled, and the crescents were imprinting on her hands, and she knew it, but she couldn’t help herself as she glared at the other. Why couldn’t things ever go the way she needed it to?  

What annoyed the blonde more was the fact that a long cigarette was rolled ever so slowly. The paper painstakingly licked across and the filling ever so carefully kept in place as she pulled it together. Of all things for Cheryl’s mother to do of course she also had to smoke. The older woman’s grin is sly as she brings the thing to her mouth, it looked eerily like the action of a cartoon villain if Betty thought about it enough.

“You Cooper's—Smith’s and trying to dig around. Some of us including your mum moved on from that game, though you can’t, any more can you?”

Crescents on her palms aren’t enough as she brings her bottom lip beneath her teeth. If Cheryl Blossom was a bitch to deal with when she was in a mood her mother was the mega bitch. It was a ploy, to get her off track. Everything the other was doing from her tone to every inhale of smoke. The other was cunning. It was clear as day.

“Though the game isn’t going to be answered here for the moment”. Looking at her with confusion Betty cannot believe the other wasn’t drunk also, though the other continues just as coolly. “The sweet sisters of quiet mercy have a game that has become more; I suggest you know Riverdale is not for you”.

“Why would you do this? Help me? You have more than enough to gain for helping this stupid game I’m not dumb enough to leave so you can do whatever you want with Riverdale”. Maybe it was more comfortable when the other was just giving her nothing; nothing was more trustworthy she supposed.

“Cat and mouse. A game that fits so well with life and the game that will give me anything I wish. It’s well; you’ll have to see when you fail. I’m someone who enjoys the game played well”.

The look on her face is sickening, and without thinking about its, Betty is trailing out of the room towards the exit. Laughter is taunting as she opened the door and slammed it closed. Cheryl’s house feels too big as she tries to leave as soon as possible, thankfully she doesn’t bump into the other as she can’t explode at another Blossom right now.

It’s her mum not her it’s not fair, she knows (how can you not know how to act correctly when it’s been drilled into you since childhood). When she’s outside in the courtyard a little closer to the bike she's taking the cold wind hits her. The season was nothing but unhelpful in this situation, yet the fresh memories of Winter are comforting. Memories, memories that would be worth nothing if she didn’t figure out a solution.

Where would she go? Home was a good option yet as she started her bike memories of the other telling her about the place her mum sent Polly filled her mind...No she couldn’t go to home where her mum was losing it, and her pills from the Summer were hidden in her sock drawer. Wiping away a tear it hurt to know that even those hadn’t helped Archie in the end, she couldn’t help in the end.

The courtyard of a crazy woman wasn’t a place for her to cry however and just as soon as she is about to stop to think more she is adjusting her helmet and preparing to drive. Drive she does, it’s odd without an endpoint in mind. The pavement in front of her is smooth and well planned out with smooth turns, and she finds her mind lost in the path. Somewhere out of Riverdale was the answer to the issues that plagued her, her best friend and the town.

It’s not unexpected that her bike should stop at Pops she supposes as the trip was almost automatic. The parking spaces are mostly empty, so it’s no issue parking and putting her helmet on the bike, hand going to get the keys out before tucking them away carefully. Adjusting her phone in her right pocket, she’s trailing into the familiar shop.

Winter brings with the season a need for hot drinks, but Betty’s stomach already feels bad enough without adding drinking something with too much milk to the mix. Too bad Veronica wasn’t there it seemed to help her, talk to her. Maybe she was downstairs? But she doesn’t go near the speakeasy stairs as she instead takes the booth closest to the door. Putting her head in her hands, she groans at the lack of ideas coming to her. This was a dumb idea; there was no way could have done this alone yet.

Shaking her thoughts of the redhead surely in the woods wasn't going to be safe if she just gave up. Looking up to see the clock it’s broken still; maybe Veronica could fix it before shit went to full hell so that the locals could bet on it. Not right now though, that wouldn’t help. Ignoring the keys in the left her hand goes to her right and as she turns her screen on with a click is instantly barraged with missed calls from her mum.

Before she can even make sense of it all her phone is once again ringing, but it isn’t her mum. Accepting the call, she’s pushing her hair to one side before putting at her ear. While she does this she’s standing up, Pops nods and doesn’t say much as the young woman leaves the shop bell ringing behind her gently.

“What happened to him Jug?” She questioned worriedly. Instant thoughts of Archie’s wound being infected—Hiram Lodge finding the spot and killing him. Handshaking, she is running a bit faster to her bike.

“No, no nothing has happened Betty you don’t have to worry about anything like that. Betty I’m just calling to say that Archie and I are leaving town and I’m sorry, but I love you” he says softly, and he is more than likely looking at Archie as he says all of this.

Leaving, she’s being left behind by the boy she saved and her boyfriend? Sighing into the phone, she is extra lucky she didn’t get this call after or during her talk with Ms Blossom. Wasn’t this irony, a painful bit but she couldn’t ignore that she hated it. Part of her wanted to give in, tell him to be safe, and she loved him too and to please make sure Archie knew she wanted him to be safe.

The revving of the engine that is loud enough for Jug to hear makes him sound confused as she makes up her mind. That old Betty wasn’t her, no she wasn’t going to go home now, especially now.

“Don’t move, Stay there Jug I’m not going to be long”. Stating this she can hear him sigh, maybe a part of him wanted the message to go to voicemail and not to her directly.

Hanging up her phone she’s shaking as she goes to put her helmet on. Time was short, but luckily, she knew the both well enough, had heard Jug talk about the railroad enough to know to direct herself there. So, with a determined sigh, she’s setting off onto the road again. Bumps and cracks are bare distractions under the bike as she makes her way around the road. More than ever she’s grateful for the lack of snow.

When she sees Jughead, she sees Archie is looking towards a wall; he’s holding a phone it looks like it as he every now and again moves away from it. Phone. Her phone, with that she halts the bike and drops it to the ground, her phone pulled out to shut it off. The tall male looks at her with shock she thinks as she approaches, maybe it was something he didn’t think she could do either. She doesn’t blame him really, not at all.

When they are next to each other they don’t hug, nor kiss but rather look over to the frantic redhead. Was it's Veronica? He seemed to be reassuring yet shaking his head. The sight was odd yet oddly memorable. It’s when he turns around and sees the redhead that she’s set off into action again.

“Betty?” He questions. Eyes going from her to Jughead can merely give him a look of ‘what did you expect from her’.

“Arch” she breathes easily stopping just in front of him. The shirt he’s wearing is new, and she just realised that they are well packed, and she is nowhere near as ready to leave.

“You weren’t supposed to come; I barely let Jug convince me Betty—I’m not safe to be around. I’m bad luck, and I can’t hurt you too”, why does the other say this almost sound like begging?

“I’m coming, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go again, and you guys have not a good track record. I don’t either I know Jug, but I’m not going home if you guys aren’t”.

Jughead sighs and rolls his eyes, but Betty doesn’t care as she looks over to Archie. He isn’t quite meeting her eyes, and it hurts, and it feels like getting rejected but worse like she isn’t allowed to keep him safe.

“If something goes wrong leave with Jug,” he says but it’s as close to he is to saying yes so, it’s a yes.

 

-—-(•)——

 

Summers sleeping by the fire in their backyard hasn’t quite prepared the blonde for this. The train is less stable than Ethel was in the game, though the carriage they are in is old, so it can’t be helped too much. Still, Betty can’t help but lightly feel annoyed as she can’t quite fall asleep, closing her eyes is too hard now anyhow. It was like something was lit inside of her, and she couldn’t turn it off.

Rubbing her eyes, she tries not to think about how it started after she stopped taking those dumb pills. Adjusting on her spot next to Archie’s bag she finds herself looking to the young man in question. The night sky does little to hide his paler than usual complexion, the wince that he can’t hide is clear also as he tries to get comfortable too. By the carriage door is Jughead with his camera snapping imperfect shots of the passing countryside. It’s an odd, perverse image of what they were now compared to their first camping efforts.

Brown eyes look over to meet hers, and they are tired, couldn’t be anything else as he stares at her so tiredly at least. Though she smiles and knows it’d probably make them both happier if she could just hold his hand right then.

“I don’t know where we’re going you know, Jug picked up my call and said ‘Oh Arch yeah this is what we’re gonna do’” he said with a voice that sounded like Jug but with the most amount of exaggeration.

“He answered your call with the need to leave Riverdale with ‘Arch I know what we need to do?’” She joked about lightly. The other is bashfully smiling and even though he doesn’t laugh the mood feels better.

“I might be paraphrasing—but I just want you to know that if you know to let me know. Heck to let Jug know at this point” he added to the end looking over to Jug by the door.

Taking a break of photography Jughead points his middle finger at Archie and continues. Looking back at Betty he looks at her with confusion, did something happen to them. Biting her lip, she looks over to the spot next to Jug; there’s enough room she reasons. Well, it’s cold, and the last thing she wanted was to welcome that more by having the wind directly in her face. That was the only reason.

“I’m not sorry for coming along by the way Archie the last thing I’m going to is to let you go after it took you so long” saying this to him she doesn’t know why saying those words feels so weird.

“I’m sorry I took so long Betty” he breathes softly, maybe it’s because he’s hurt because his voice sounds hurt. They’d have to look after that branding.

Looking back over to Jughead she can’t help it as her stomach is twisting in knots and she just has nothing she can say to that.

“I’m sorry too” she eventually says.

 

-—-(•)——

 

Peeing off the side of the train while something the boys did easily wasn’t something the blonde could do. Sure, Archie very nicely asked her to look away and was greeted with Jug’s ‘oh can I stare?’ She couldn’t exactly do the same without making her feel weird.

The first gas station the group sees after the train ride has a paying before pee policy, so the two are looking around the shop. Graffiti is barely present as Betty looks around the room, the toilet was clean so as she sat there was that at least. Maybe it was the lack of visitors? The roads were as clear as she had seen on the road so large.

Maybe it was just offseason, Riverdale was probably most went. It was the right season for it she reasoned. So, lost in thought she barely notices that she pulled the last bit of toilet paper off the roll. Using it, she’s lightly hitting the empty cardboard toilet roll as she stands up and flushes.

Looking to the door and back to the bare thing of cardboard she knows she can’t just leave. So of course, she’s bending down, and luckily there’s more than one, so she picks the closet up. Maybe this simple little act could help their karma? Though she doubted it, they’d need to save a billion kittens to fix their luck.

Pulling the cardboard off the holder the sight before she makes her drop the thing and toilet paper to the ground. They looked old, deeply etched like they were always there. Hands shaking, she tries to find reason in the madness of the symbols, but all she can think of is the one that looks like the one Jug showed her from the game.

Heart beating rapidly, she dashes from the toilet to the sink washing her hands with a frantic rush. They had to go; they couldn’t stay here this wasn’t safe. Archie— wiping her hands on her sides she unlocks the door and is frantically looking for the males.

As Betty sees them, Archie is swinging a clear bag on his back, and Jughead is saying something with his sarcastic smile. Steps as fast she can be without being too obvious she tries not to look at the person behind the counter. The males don’t look confused until Betty is walking not to them but out. Catching her speed, the two stand either side of her as they exit.

“Betty, I bought— “Archie starts, but Betty softly says, “this place isn’t safe”.

Jughead just nods, and it feels good not to have him rave at her for an answer. Archie reaches out for her arm she thinks, or maybe it was to give her the bag. Yeah, that would make more sense, though either way he does neither and instead runs the hand through his hair.

Taking a sharp turn right the road that sucks because it’s old if not filled with cracks she can feel Jughead looking at her oddly.

“Betty that’s towards the railroad, the town is further left” his tone is not annoyed rather that of someone stating the obvious.

“Jug I’ll explain it to you on the train okay” she quietly fires back, and she can just tell the is rolling his eyes.

Though Archie talks and not the other. “As long as it’s when we get on the train okay Betty, probably better we didn’t have to do too much walking”. With a smile, he knows it’s because of him as this waking alone is only making his hip burn with pain more.

Trailing to the train line, it’s quiet for a moment; the long grass is empty it would seem. The air is still also, the lack of birds something none question but it just adds to Betty’s worries. Hands digging in her palm is going into crests, but she doesn’t feel them for long as a hand pulls them away. Their warmth is welcome in the chilly night and looking over to her left she can only smile as she confirms it’s Archie though he’s quick to bring his hand back.

“You know trains aren’t exactly frequent here, they’re kinda not going to the middle of nowhere this time at night—the town is literally” Jughead rants, but that is cut off by the sound of a nearby train. With a chuckle and his brows wiggling Archie earns a, “you’re welcome” from Jughead.

Ignoring the bickering from the boys Betty is crouching, Archie doing the same before so does Jughead. The train is fast, and as Jughead and Betty push the redhead it doesn’t leave without him, nor them either as Archie grips their arms to make sure they can fully jump on.

The raven-haired male walks away from his grip first, lightly rubbing his wrist as he does so. It would seem like the back of the carriage is interesting as he looks over there instead of coming back. With a small smile Betty looks back at Archie, it’s nice to know the other is looking her similarly. Maybe the other was grateful he made it on safely?

When the grip on her arm doesn’t lessen or in general doesn’t stop she can’t help but feel like it increases instead. Raising her brows, the blonde looks at the other with worry. Though the other is looking at her worried too so maybe they’re both not okay together?

“What happened in the bathroom Betty, I know you probably need time to think, but I don’t want you to hold this to yourself” she softly says still not letting go.

Thankfully they do sit away from the entrance and find a spot to rest along the side. Moving his hand to captures hers it almost feels like everything is normal.

“it’s the game—Gryphons and Gargoyles. There are these symbols and when I was going to the restroom someone put them there” she says slowly unsure of how much the other knew.

This seemed to get the loners attention as he is pacing over to them a look of intrigue. Hand on his hip it’s almost like he’s back in that game daze. Maybe the blonde’s hand grips the other tighter as he does so.

“So, the game extends past Riverdale? It would seem my theory was correct. But a gas station? Gas station. If symbols were in a gas station imagine what would be in that town we missed” the last bit is more muttered to himself than anything else. Pacing back to where he was before Jughead is deep in planning or, so his muttering lets Betty Believe.

Archie looks lost though he tries not to she thinks as he looks at her. With dark brown eyes and a tired smile, Archie looks more like a teen than he has in years.

“We’re going to figure this out together” he softly soothes.

Stomach aching at those words she wishes she could just tell the other. Was the red headed woman telling the truth?

 

-—-(•)——

 

Food tastes better when you don’t have much of an access to it she reasons. It’s hard to judge by how her boyfriend is eating it as he is on constant hunger mode, but Archie is too eating rather eagerly. Taking a bite of her burger, she can’t deny she also is hungry. The food is nice even if it seems to be rarely sold, the owner of the small shop delighted when they came by. What a beautiful breakfast meal to have.

Swallowing a bit roughly the atmosphere suddenly hits her once more, they were the only people here besides the owner. This wasn’t Pops, and they were on the run from the game and Hiram, there was also the chance they were running deeper in the game? Like instinct, Betty sees Archie is looking at her over his burger. His brows are raised, the start of a question on his tongue but she doesn’t want to, and she just smiles and looks down to the plate.

It’s littered with lost bits of her burger, but it wasn’t something she minded, she didn’t know if she could look at Archie right now without telling him everything.

“So, I was thinking, if that gas stop had some symbols who’s to say this place doesn’t? I checked the train last night, but it was clean” saying this whole eating Jughead had no qualms about it.

So that’s what he was doing when she fell asleep. Great. Something about his eagerly curious tone was sickening. Archie looked like thought the same thing also when Betty snuck a look.

“It’s not such a crazy theory you guys, common Betty you saw it yourself! What we need is a game plan—there’s a woman’s bathroom you should check before we go”. Saying this he sounded so sure of himself.

“Excuse me?” Betty asked staring at him with annoyed shock.

The redhead was quick on her side as he echoed her question. “Jughead why would you want her to check a random bathroom? This isn’t the time to split up”.

Sighing and rolling his eyes Jughead bites as his burger and seems not to have an answer to that. With a small, grateful smile, she looks to Archie and if the other looks at her with a smile warm enough to cool her nerves she doesn’t need to say it out, loud does she?

 

-—-(•)——

 

Not much is said as the trio leave the shop, they hadn’t talked since Jughead had awkwardly walked towards the bathrooms. Sure, he checked both, but hopefully going to both to find nothing proved to him that he had to calm down on the search. Ironic that it was Betty who lit the flame for it to start up once again.

Though it’s not Jughead’s drive that has Betty’s attention, no it’s the redhead who is still moving less on his left leg than usual still. Since finding the train timetable only to see that another train wasn’t coming anytime soon, it was clear waking was the only thing they could do. Was it the best option for Archie? No. It was clear as day it was the worst though they couldn’t just stay at that shop after Jughead searched it.

Too bad that there wasn’t any way Archie was going to give him his bag so that she could help, she tried at least. The crisp winds of December haven’t gotten any better and having to wear the same outfit hasn’t helped her at all, and they hadn’t bathed. Great.  

Waking stops when she bumps into Jughead who has stopped with Archie. Why may you ask? That was something she wanted to know as well. Taking a step to the side, she finally sees it, a motel. An old motel but one that looked stable and well not too sketchy. So more than they had hoped for.

“I’ll go in first and make sure everything is okay” Betty rushes, and it’s clear Archie ways to object, but she’s racing to the door.

While the nob looks rusty, it’s clear it’s not too bad as she opens it with little issue, the door, of course, is loud from disrepair. Not closing the door behind her she instead chooses to focus on the room before her. The wallpaper is less than intact, and the floor a little on the dirty side but it’s not smelling of beer which makes it better than the train easily.

The reception desk is empty, from people and objects it would seem as she comes closer. A single bell is on the counter, but an outline of a book is clear next to it. This place needed cleaning badly. With that note came her sneezing, trying to do it quietly is hard to do in an empty motel she learns. Soon enough a strange young woman emerges from the back.

Her hair is pulled in a tight bun, a small part in her golden hair is hung out of it however as it covers her eye. Eyes wide with delight she seems more childish than her height would let you think, a child on sugar. Bright royal blue eyes regard Betty Joyously like she wasn’t a random stranger in her place of work.

“You’ve come for a room? That’s great my father told me we would be existing guests, he was told himself. Guests, oh, I sure hope I cleaned the rooms”.

By the looks of this room, Betty doubted that greatly. Though the other said rooms, she knew she wasn’t alone. Going for a small smile, Betty isn’t in the mood to argue with crazy. Even if that crazy could be nice.

“Yes, exactly! My friends and I need to sleep and well. My friend isn’t exactly in the best of shape right now, so we might need some stuff”.

Tapping her fingers together Betty looks to the unknown young woman expectantly. She doesn’t falter under her watch rather nods and under her breath says, “hmm hmm. Gotta get some sugar” before going back to where she came.

This was as big a red flag as you could get yes but well…. Could Archie stand walking right now? Biting at her lip, it was her choice to say it was good or bad and as much as she hated it this was the best they’d get. Plus, maybe they could find a map hers? Nodding to herself she’s walking out the hotel door once more; the boys are leaning against a pole talking about what she doesn’t know.

“There are rooms, and we can stay, so let’s go in guys” she states, and it sounds sketchy and not enough but why would try to do more when it would sound worse?

“Did they say how much? Veronica gave me some money before, but I don’t think it’ll last too long if we aren’t careful” Archie says this tiredly like budgeting is the last thing he wants to do right now.

“Just, I don’t think there’s a payment needed,” Betty says in reply.

“Betty I am not ending up in a hentai situation! There can’t be no payment” Jughead says uncomfortably.

Side-eyeing his mention of that again she tries to ignore how gross that statement was. Though she couldn’t blame him for being unsure, how could someone not be?

Lightly rubbing at his head, Archie seems to consider it more at least. “It’s been days since we left Jug, almost a week I can’t keep doing the train thing anymore”. Not that Archie should have to admit this, it was plain as day to see.

Jughead seems to ease with this, and he rubs his face with his hands. Would they go on and risk an attack? It wasn’t like they were prepared to sleep in the grass again, the field would have snakes this time even if they were sleeping.

“I mean I guess it’s a chance to look around for clues” the beanie lover sighs. This earns a sigh from Betty as he does so.

They are mostly quiet as they walk through the hotel, this time not even Jughead sneezing seems to make her stir. Betty would have to fill the gang in on her later, hopefully before the other met them. That would be hard to explain.

Only going to the first floor the first three bedrooms are looked at, but they stick the middle one. Looking to the queen-sized bed and the single for some reason Betty feels conflicted. Biting at her lip, she looks to Archie just as he looks away.

“So, guys we catch up on sleep and look around, I was thinking we make a battle strategy tomorrow so that we can look around better. Betty you and Archie together this single bed feel like rocks, and if I’m honest it’s the closest thing to my bed here”.

Announcing that all at once Betty doesn’t have time to question him. Neither does Archie as Jug lays on the single instantly looking through the camera he had managed to keep alive. He did know he was her boyfriend, right? Looking to Archie, he was just as confused.

Still, even if her heart pounded too hard, it didn’t mean much — Nope, just platonic sleeping next to her friend. That’s what he thought right? Walking over to the bed the other does the same. Betty lies down first because he wouldn’t lie down first of course.

As his head is on the pillow he falls asleep; Jughead to is sleeping she can hear. But she can’t, and she wishes she could, but she can’t.

Staring at the others face, she tries to hope at least they’re doing the right thing for the redhead.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A bit more of a look of the hotel, and the mystery expands~

The sound of silence is something Betty didn’t think she would be enjoying this much. Silence was something you grow used to when your parents don’t like going into the same room unless they have an argument on the tip of their tongue. Though the situation is different now she supposes, so why couldn’t the absence of noise mean something else? Her father was locked away, her mother more than likely on the farm with Polly and the twins.

Was it possible her mother was looking for her? Opening her eyes to stare at the ceiling the feeling of nothingness fills her stomach if she did what it would mean for when she got her hands-on Archie? And Jughead, of course, her mother would want a word with him too. One of her hands, (the right of course because she’s sleeping on the right and she doesn’t want to wake Archie up because her hands feel too empty to exist) reaches into the air gasping at nothing.

Time isn’t something she can just access on her phone right now, ever since they had left Riverdale really. Some things like the black hood never really left her, the sight of her phone making her stomach ache as she pushed in away from her. So, she was bathed in timeless darkness, the lack of a nearby street light not even giving her the luxury of a shadow for her tired movements.

This was a bed at least, somewhere warm and safe for the time being to allow Archie to heal. So, while the hotel didn’t cure Betty of her horrible sleeping pattern it at least allowed the two males to fall asleep rather rapidly. Brining her hand closer to her face she’s covering herself with the, her eyes and her stomach as they feel off, wrong. So much had happened since they had left the week before yet eating wasn’t something she had too much of an issue with. It wasn’t like with the black hood, there was no Chic and webcamming. No, there just happened to be someone trying to murder her best friend and more than likely Jughead and herself.

Moving her hand from her face she finds herself moving her head to the left, it’s dark but it isn’t like she doesn’t know what’s there anyhow. The redhead is breathing, softly she likes to note with a small smile. The train had meant a lot of things for the trio, but it had not meant many good things for the upkeep of the male’s leg unfortunately. A broken box, dusty floors and maybe if they were lucky and the transit gods were looking out for them somewhere along the way they got to give Archie a torn up sleeping bag. The Pokémon pattern looked oddly familiar as the redhead joking tried to fit his body into it.

Trying not to laugh at that mental image is hard so she just holds her breath as she stares into the darkness fondly. Steading her breath there is no point in waking the other up just for something so silly however, maybe tomorrow but not right now. Her hand on her stomach plays with the bottom of her shirt lightly, the materiel is soft long and most definitely not hers. Well it’s because the shirt isn’t hers at all of course, it was borrowed right before she tucked herself next to the other.

It smells of old books, a light hint of that serpent smell Betty never could understand and dark roasted coffee. Pure and utter Jughead she decided as she pulled it further down her thighs, the other was neutral about her wearing it not saying much besides telling her that she had worn her shirt quite a lot, so a new one was needed. Oh, right and bathing was hard to do when there hadn’t been the chance too. Of course, they hadn’t packed for that either.

So why can’t she help but want to lean in closer to the male next to her? Sweet dew filled grass, the smell of her favourite milkshake being stolen between sips of chocolate and a deep musk that she couldn’t say more than it was masculine. Archie, it was pure Archie and yet here she was mooning over it like he was her boyfriend. Rolling onto her back the dazed young woman doesn’t like how much her heart beats at this note. Best friends could find comfort without it being weird right? Thinking about stuff just made sense when that was the only thing she had left.

Analysing why her heart is throbbing so hard doesn’t make it go any slower, so she just tries to not stew in her thoughts at the very least. And well, what better way to not over think than to overthink so hard you must leave the room right? Sitting up slowly she’s grateful she doesn’t manage to bump into the other as she does so. Years of practise of getting out of bed quietly at least helps her as she eases out of the bed. When the floor lightly groans she stares to where Archie should be, her eyes trail over to Jughead but nothing happens quite she thinks. It was a good two or three minutes of staring at the two back and forward until she can accept she hasn’t woken the pair up.

It wouldn’t kill her to have some time for herself, right? As she sneaks out of the room the floorboards are on the verge of being a noisy pain, but they are better than they at first seemed to be. Opening the door and slipping out she hates the fact that the door won’t and can’t lock as she shuts it behind her. Staring at the rotting place in the door where a lock should have been doesn’t make her feel any safer in case she ever tried to consider it she reasoned. Turning to her left she catches sight of more rooms, but to her right there is a communal bathroom just two rooms down.

Lightly biting at her lip her feet move her further down the hallway, thankfully there is a small light allowing her not to trip on her face as she does so. Her steps lightly echo, for only herself she tries to note. There are paintings from people she doesn’t reconsider, and the religious tones in them make her think of home and the place she never wanted to go to ever. Looking away from the paintings she sticks to looking at the doors instead.

The communal bathroom door is quite helpful as it has it written onto it, the wood looked just as old as their room’s door but a much lighter and more neutral looking blue. The nob is more natural to twist and while the door is a bit harder to push open the light switch doesn’t have a weird sticking feeling to it. The door doesn’t lock so she doesn’t try to as she shuts it and walks in.

While the door looks old the bathroom looks much nicer, the tiles aren’t broken for the most part under her feet as she looks around curiously. The design of the room is old, yet it was clear this room had perhaps the most amount of attention. It was like a high school dressing room she noted, memories of vixens coming to her as she saw it. To the far left there was three showers in stalls, in the middle there was old lockers covered in what could only be dust and the beginnings of rust and to the very left three toilets. An odd design for a hotel, but she was open to what this hotel could bring, and she wasn’t going to jinx herself quite yet on saying it wasn’t just run by weird yet kind people.

Walking over to the lockers she finds that the locks are almost entirely gone, on all bar one it would seem. The doors are all closed, whoever the last people were to use them might have wanted to hide something even if it wasn’t going to be protected by a lock. Bending down at the first one it was clear a lock was not wholly necessary he unlocked locker was also a pain in the ass to open. Moving her hand off it, she traced the door lightly, if she hit it with her fist she could hurt herself, and if she injured herself, there was no telling if she could get it fixed right now.

Groaning she finds herself sitting on the cold floor, it was more than a bit surprised as her bare thighs hit the tiling. Good thing she took a pair of jugheads underwear to use. Maybe she should thank her boyfriend for packing so many? Why he bought new ones along for this trip she had no clue, but this wasn’t the time to think about that really. Rubbing her face, she stares at the locker before her, it was old so if it wasn’t a pain to open then there wouldn’t be anything in it anyway right? What was in there could help them.

So, she’s putting her hand back onto the door, it wasn’t the most smug thing to hold but as long as she doesn’t try to break her hand opening it how bad could it really be? Pulling on it for almost a minute it feels pointless if she is honest, almost giving her hand twists to the right and the sweet sound of a click fills her with happiness. Once the door is a bit open it’s easier to make it opened all the way, yet what she finds in it fills her with nothing but annoyance. Empty. Opening the one bellow it is easier when you know how to do it properly and thankfully it had something and that was more than she was hoping to find right now. It’s a dark blue, and as she pulls the cloth out there’s gold and it’s in a pattern that makes her drop it. Riverdale High, how was the symbol for that on a towel here? Taking a deep breath there had to be a reason.

Though reasons are hard when thinking is already hard enough and she can’t sleep. Maybe someone else went through? This place wasn’t exactly in a different country to her dear old little high school was it. Still, the symbol was old it looked like the uniform her mother had shown her from her old school senior pictures. It was a sport towel the only kind a school really sold she supposed, age aside it was clean and if she didn’t know any better by the symbol she could have guessed that it was a recent edition. Flopping it on her lap she tries to find blood, or maybe even just something out of the ordinary all she gets is a towel on her lap really in the end.

Keeping the towel on her lap she finds herself moving to the next row, but they just have body wash and while she’s happy to see that there’s something about not finding something spooky and serial killer like. With a deep breath she comes to the last row, the one that is locked and the last one that is not. Her hand shakes on the unlocked one, and as she opens it she quickly notes that it is not empty. More classic Riverdale high stuff. Of course.

Holding it in the air it looks like Archie’s football one, but the arms are different and so is the design of the mascot. Pulling it to her chest she wonders how she would tell the pair that she found this stuff? Archie himself didn’t bring his own letterman jacket to not raise suspicion. And if she’s honest she missed it on him, the blue with his hair and the way that they didn’t have to be on the run. This wasn’t helping, thinking of stuff like this really.

Slowly standing up so she doesn’t feel dizzy she’s placing the letterman jacket on top of the locker, the towel placed next to it ever so gently. Shower. It had been awhile since she had gotten to have a shower. Looking over to the shower Betty does note they don’t look like they’re in that bad of shape really. Biting at her lip she’s walking over to the shower, the sinks she notes that she missed are on the opposite side of them, so she walks there instead.

It feels odd to put her hand on a random tap like this, though it’s not rusted and she’s sure that if it’s not and that lady surely lives here that there must be running water, right? The young woman wouldn’t just live here without water. With a light twist of the handle the water pours out and while the hot doesn’t do anything more than make Betty try to turn it the cold isn’t too bad. If she’s honest if feels kind of nice even if the weather begs for her to run a steaming hot bath. Twisting the handles back into their original position her mind is made up.

Going back to the lockers she ever so gently takes her clothes off and places them atop the jacket, it’s cold in the room she notes again, and it feels a little scary to be naked, but she can’t handle not bathing for too much more really. Though there are better ways than to die naked Betty is picking up the soaps and the towel is walking towards the shower. The towel falls on the shower door rather easily and the door opens and closes and yes, this lock works surprisingly. While it’s stupid to feel comfort with only one lock protecting her it’s better than the nothing she had before.

Putting the body wash, shampoo and conditioner on the shower floor she puts all her focus on the shower itself, it like the rest of the room is old but nice. Hand going for the tap it’s very much like the sink in easiness in turning it on. The water rushes out and she can’t help but gasp at just how cold it is. Slowing the rushing water that is hitting her body she has to remind herself to breath. Hand over where her heart is pounding she once again finds her hand going to the tap, this can’t be the thing that makes her wait for the shower. With less speed the taps are turned, and the water once again is hitting her body, it’s easier this time when she isn’t unsure about how the water will hit her.

Turning it more she takes the plunge to submerge as much of her body she can manage; it’s not the most natural things to want to do when it’s so cold, but it’s better than feeling dirty and gross. Bending down to grip at the body wash it’s not quite her usual vanilla scented, but the purple lilac scent won’t be too bad she reasons. Squirting some into the palm of her hand she finds herself rubbing her shoulders more than anything. It’s no surprise they are tense, they’d have to be non-functioning for them not to be after the year she had.

This year, it hadn’t been all bad. How could it when she had finally gotten to be honest to Archie and the gang about herself, how she had been trapped in her role of perfect. Lost in thought she almost misses how the handle jiggles; the door couldn’t have been anything but the entrance to the bathroom. Trying not to slip on the tiles Betty turns off the tap, the towel is pulled off, and she’s squatting cursing that she couldn’t hide on the toilets so that she could conceal just that bit better.

As the door opens and the person walks in they don’t close it, instead they take more steps into the room. Heart beating out of control she can feel the begins of a pit begin to grow in her stomach, she needed to breathe, but she couldn’t manage that. Had they gotten the others or was she the first to go?

“Betty?” the voice whispers, and it can only be Archie, and she tries not to cry in relief.

Standing up is slow, but she can’t quite speak because her chest still feels like it’s full of something that isn’t her organs right now. Or maybe it’s the pit in her stomach that grows when she almost thinks it is going to be the end. Archie looks relieved, and he’s smiling softly even though he probably thought she was hurt because she isn’t. Though he quickly goes red when he notices that she’s in the shower and how often do people in the shower have clothes on.

“Shit, sorry Betty,” he says covering his eyes.

While she doesn’t want to walk out and get changed in company, she can’t stay in the shower forever and maybe she isn’t feeling scared with him here. The other was safe, he was her best friend too why wouldn’t you feel safe with your best friend? So, she is opening the stall and with the towel wrapped around tightly walking towards her clothes.

“Just close your eyes till I say so okay” she softly asks. The other nods and while it’s quite the sight to see because he is nodding with a hand across his eyes it’s still him being so closed to her naked. “But I have to ask why you’re awake?”

Ironic from her she knew, but she wasn’t the one that had been branded and stabbed, so she kind of had a point. The other thinks for a moment, and she takes off the towel and is putting on the underwear as he thinks.

“I woke up to check on you, it’s stupid, but I had this dream and—well I woke up and you were gone, and I knew you would be looking around, so I had to find you before something else did”. The other sounded honest, though when did Archie Andrews ever not sound honest right? That would be a day Betty did not want to see.

Slipping her shirt on she knows she can’t deny the other, she was searching or well avoiding but it wasn’t something he needed to worry about right now. Lightly coughing she teases. “you can look now” and he does, but she still feels naked in front of him.

The other doesn’t ask why she doesn’t have pants on, and she doesn’t tell him why either.

“I did find something, but I don’t understand why they are here I just know that they are old and probably don’t belong here” she starts and what better thing can she do but pick up the letterman jacket.

The other lights up, and while he doesn’t mean to snatch it off her he’s tugging like a excited puppy. Looking it over he looks at every nook and cranny it would seem with pure interest. “It’s a letterman jacket from our school, it is exactly like the one my dad has in his closet. Exact year as well! Look at this stitching this guy did some serious stuff in it”. Pointing at the stitching Betty didn’t know how to ask how Archie knew about stitching but still not right now.

“Archie there’s a matching towel to go with this”, she, of course, explains this as she pulls the now wet towel up. “Is there any way you could recognise who had this number?”

“If I had the year book sure, but I’m sorry I only know my dad’s number, and I know for sure that isn’t his” sounding somewhat disappointed in himself as he admits this Betty can’t exactly fault him for feeling frustrated.

“Maybe we should figure this out tomorrow; maybe Jug could dazzle us with an answer” saying this makes the other smile amused and it feels like it was an excellent choice to say.

Archie puts the jacket around her and says ever so coolly, “until we get mine back from Riverdale”. It almost feels like a dream the way he says it, but it’s late and even though it’s probably a sleepily made a choice she is grateful that she heard him say it.

It’s almost as if nothing had changed and they were just staying over at the school for some school event. This illusion is shattered as the redhead clutches his side in pain as they make their way back to their hotel room and her sleeping boyfriend.

 

 

The light in her eyes are too sharp as her mind regains conscious. Pulling the blanket over her eyes it’s her stomach aching that makes her next issue very apparent. Oh, though at the very least she had managed to fall asleep some time in the night. Putting the blanket away from her face she’s rubbing her closed eyes. Thinking about last night is hard when she isn’t sure how much of last night was a dream.

There was one way to know, and as she looked at her jacket-clad arm she knew that more had happened then what she was at first willing to admit. So, she really did go into the bathroom and find the Riverdale high merchandise, and there was indeed moment where Archie was a towel slip away from seeing her naked. Pushing that thought away it was stupid the way she felt her heart beat faster, there wasn’t a reason to think about that part too much.

Putting her arm back on her stomach her eyes wonder around the room; it was hard to say if she was the only one awake when the room was so quiet on ears alone. Wet red hair is what she was greeted with and with the absence of the raven-haired young man she could at least tell her that it was just the two of them. Sitting up a bit too fast there is a blessing in the fact the other is sitting facing away from her.

“Hey”, Betty breathed tiredly.

The other turns around and with a soft smile he is looking at her face ever so quickly, but she catches on before he just looks her eye to eye. Hand placed on the abdomen he’s putting pressure on his chest as he strolls over to her.  It doesn’t take him long at all, and he’s sitting down next to her so thankfully he doesn’t have to clutch at his wound too much.

“I thought you’d miss breakfast, me and Jug managed to find the kitchen, and there may be a chance that’s why he isn’t here” he sounds a bit awkward saying that. Though it’s Jughead and Jughead while he doesn’t look at it eats to feel a bit more at ease with a situation.

“Have you told Jug about last night yet?” said this softly she feels like she means more than what she says and by the way the other eyes go wide he probably thinks the same thing.

It’s quiet for a moment but the other manages to look more at ease with himself which is nice. “About the Riverdale High stuff? Not yet, I thought it would be for the best if we both could talk to him about it. Probably give him the answers he needs without having to explain how I wasn’t the one to find them and where they were found”.

There’s something more he wants to say she can tell because he has a tense bit to his jaw, but Betty doesn’t want to bring it up, so she won’t right now. Nodding she also knew that the young male probably would be best to hear it over breakfast. So, she’s standing up and walking over to the clothes she left of the table. Archie looks away as she bends to slip her pants on thankfully.

“I mean, there’s no point in not telling him right now. Right? Get on the same page” she says this unsure and the other nods awkwardly back. While it would be a bit awkward to explain why she just wanted to leave the room she at the very least had the excuse of needing a shower and the restroom.

Adjusting the jacket on her frame she feels Archie’s eyes on her, but she doesn’t turn to meet them. With a small breath she finds herself walking out of the room, of course Archie slips ahead and opens the door but why wouldn’t he it’s not like she knows where the kitchen was. It’s the opposite way to the kitchen, past the staircase they walked up and almost at the end of the hallway. Looking up the painting a familiar image of two women by a cross makes her look ahead.

Hoping that Archie didn’t see that, she feels her hands balling up, they crescent but the other is too close, and the last thing she wants is the other to know her gross habit right now. Thankfully they are soon in the kitchen, and it’s nicer than what she thought it’d look. There’s a fridge, one that looks like it works as the male at the table is eating what appears to be a bowl of milk filled bowel of cereal. Jughead looks up from a spoonful, and he does so with a brow raised.

“Archie, I thought we agreed on no letterman jacket,” he asks, and while he looks to Betty, he’s more looking towards Archie. ‘Why didn’t you tell me you brought that jacket’, is also in the air.

“It’s not Archie’s Jug, I promise you. I found it” she rushes, and Archie looks a bit awkward but grateful he of the fact that he doesn’t look like a liar right now. Jughead looks more so confused but doesn’t interrupt her as she continues. “It was in the bathroom, in the lockers I just found them in there”.

“So even in a place like this there is a connection to the game, it’s like the game is calling out to us guys”, it’s awful how curiously gleeful Jughead sounds as he notes this. That was the reaction Betty didn’t want from the young man about the jacket. “After I shower we have to look around together, there are so many rooms and just imagine what we can find”.

“Maybe you should just have your shower now Jughead” Archie simply states, and while she can’t see his expression, she knows from Jug’s that Archie is staring at him blankly.

So Jughead is putting down the spoon and putting his dish in the sink before adjusting his beanie and leaving. The room feels still for a moment after and it takes Betty a bit more to remember to breath.

“He didn’t shower yet? I thought you guys did that while I was asleep” she asked sitting down where her boyfriend once was. The other does the same soon enough but to a seat next to hers and after he had gotten two bowls, spoons and got the milk out.

“I didn’t want just to leave you alone while you slept” Archie silently says.

Nodding she understands though it wasn’t like she hadn’t done the same the them last night. The male is putting cereal and milk into her bowl and as she ate it she was pleased to taste it was not off, bland but not off. The other starts eating too and it’s quiet but not like before, and they just eat. Soon enough though the other looks like he had a sudden thought and he’s pulling something out of his pocket. It’s a familiar bag and as she sees it placed on the table she can confirm it by the shops logo on the bag.

“I bought this for you before, it’s probably not the best time with everything going on, but I thought you could do with a bit of sugar”, saying this ever so softly he looks to the bag and back to her.

Ever so gently picking the bag up from the table she puts the spoon down so that she could hold it with two. The weight is familiar, and as she pulls it out, she knows why.

“Strawberry Chunky Funkeeze clouds?” she says with surprised delight. She hadn’t had the chance to have these since the Summer before Jason died. Though what surprised her more was the fact that the other had more than likely remembered that they were her favourite, and they had been for more years than she’s not loved them.

“It’s silly, but when I saw them at the shop all I could think about was how much you loved them and—if it makes me sound better or worse Jughead barely managed to convince me not to get a two-pound bag”. It was hard to tell if he was joking as he is laughing, and she is laughing in suit.

“I really, really love it Archie thank you. This is exactly what I needed right now, I don’t know how you do it, but you always know how to turn things around”. Saying this softly she’s putting the bag down, and she almost forgot that she has breakfast.

“I mean it’s easy when you care about someone right?” the atmosphere changes, and it feels like that night, and if she weren’t like her, she would do something. Though she is her and the other is him, and he’s probably just hurt and confused.

With a tight smile, she looks back down to her ever milk ruined cereal bits. “We should probably finish eating before Jughead comes back from his shower”.

With a similar tight smile, Archie nods and looks down to his bowl as well. It would be for the best that Jughead doesn’t find them in here as an excuse for eating more.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a week but I was pretty eager to expand some stuff.   
> tensions rise~ mysterious are mysterious and Betty is stressed
> 
> i hope you guys like it ;)


	3. Chapter 3

Having breakfast in a somewhat in the middle of nowhere wasn’t where Betty thought she’d be a month ago, sure putting the decorations up and singing carols with her church didn’t seem likely but still. When life gives you an empty old hotel, you didn’t exactly leave without answers. So, they had briefly gotten to meet up and plan where each person would look. Archie didn’t want to split up, it was best to have them all look around each area together. Three sets of eyes were better than one Betty lightly added. The smile that Archie sent her way made her stomach feel too full, though she didn’t try to think about it too much.

So, it was up to Jughead, while if this was a vote it would be an easy win for the pair it wasn’t. There was already an agreement, there just needed to be one agreed on by all. Yet it didn’t go through and the beanie-clad male just brushed it off. The hotel was too big to just stay in a group, sure they had a pretty good idea what there was to be found but what if there was stuff like in the bathroom to be found in other rooms? Could they risk something happening to their evidence? There was no telling how long anything could last in this place.

With that the redhead and the blonde were given their rooms and with that Jughead left to check the lower level. So as any noise of the raven-haired teen become nothing more than an echoing in the dark the pair entered the first room closest to the shared bathroom. Entering the room was as easy as any other in the place it would seem, the lock on this one worn mostly away. Some locks were working in the hotel however, but just how many of them would they find?

Looking around the room Betty quickly observes that it mirrors the one they are staying in to the tea. The two beds however seemed to been pushed to the right side of the room, each edge of the bed as close as they can be to each other and the wall itself. Archie bent over by the bed is looking for something in the mattress but it’s hard to see if he is making any progress from where she is standing. Standing there watching Archie look around a mattress probably wasn’t going to help her find any clues of her own however, it would be best to be able to provide something to the group when they met up…

So, Betty is walking over towards the left side, the cupboard is open however a rotting wooden box inside it is closed with a symbol she can’t quite put her finger on. Bending down she’s pulling the box out and onto the floor, with a gentle thud it releases some built-up dust. Feeling eyes on her she doesn’t look back, but they don’t stay on her for more than a moment. How old could this thing be? From the looks of the Riverdale gear it had the possibility of being from the nineties at the very least.

Moving her hands around the box her fingers gently the texture is odd, and if she happens to almost wipe her hands on her pants she tries to at least remind herself that she has no clue what has touched this box. Speaking of what has touched the box there didn’t seem to be any sort of lock on the thing, the hinges of what could have held a lock isn’t present either. Raising a brow, she starts to attempt to pull it open. Maybe the owner of this thing was aware that the box was hard to open? That would have been a good enough reason not to bothering locking the thing. Though it quickly clicks open and the swirling pattern of the middle is clear as day as the top is hinged open.

Books. There was a pile of thick, lined paper books. Hand grabbing out for one she looks it over carefully, if she didn’t know where they came from she could have just assumed they were workbooks for school. Opening the first few pages leads to very little more understanding, after a while there was some numbers, but they are oddly written with words that read as under stable as a fifth graders with an annoyed sigh the book is placed on her own empty lap.

“Betty you won’t guess what I found!” Archie announces loudly.

Practically hearing the smile in his tone Betty finds herself taking a deep breath, this book was a weird turn sure, but the young man seemed to have found something. So, with the book in tow she’s turning her body around and looking towards the other. Grin indeed present the male is holding what seems to be a couple of hundreds. Eyes going wide Betty jumps up from her spot, book falling to the ground as she does so. Did he really just find what seemed to have been four hundred dollars under a mattress?

“Where did you find that?” she asks even though she knows the obvious.

The other lightly deflates at this, eyes looking over back to the money he is clutching in his hand he looks thoughtful. It hits him not long after that maybe the excitement of finding that amount of money should be saved after they found out how it got there and if it was even real in the first place. Betty’s dad jokingly leaving fake money in disguise as tips for fliers to the church surely taught other people that money was to be looked at carefully before celebrating.

“I just felt around the bed covering and I saw this under one for this pillow. There is a note in there somewhere too, but it was too dirty to read” he admits awkwardly. Archie probably just saw money and went for it but well they needed money, so she couldn’t deny that a dirty note probably would catch her eye for long either.

Relaxing her shoulders there is no point in thinking too hard about how the money got there right now. Why let Jughead miss out on that? So, picking up the book she dropped she’s walking over towards Archie. Not stopping as she reached him she sits down on the bed, a dip in the bed next to her makes it clear he does the same. Putting the book on her lap she’s biting at her lip as she looks over to him.

“I didn’t find money or even a note that I can understand but I think I found something related to those school clothes that I found last night” starting she gives a pause because Archie looks down to the book and back to her face. “There is like, homework in this and I don’t know what someone was doing with homework and hundreds of dollars, but I don’t think it is good”.

Nodding the other seems to want to take a moment to digest this. Holding his hand out Betty supplies the other with the book. Flicking through it he doesn’t seem to find anything he wants to look at particularly, but he still tries to concentrate on the symbols and creases in the book.

“So, there was some person, who could have been to our school that stayed here and did what? Homework and sketchy stuff for some money?” Archie asked obviously stumped.

“All I know so far is that there is a connection to Riverdale and money and—I don’t know if I’m just crazy, but I think this could have been in the path of the game. With the convenience store on this train line maybe someone used this place for something?”. It all feels like grasping at straws if she is honest with herself.

The male seems to be interested however as the silence quickly settles in. Maybe she could have phrased that better but well it wasn’t like she could take the words back when he looks like he is thinking so deeply about them.

“Was that the only book there?” he asks breaking the moment of nothing.

Nodding Betty looked at him oddly for a moment.

“There has to be more to this place, if we didn’t have our luck I would just say the stuff you found in the bathroom was probably just some kid’s who ran away but. Well. I trust your gut”. Saying this with a soft smile Archie believes her. It just hits her that she trusts Archie believes she isn’t just being crazy, it feels nice.

“They all look around the same size, but I can’t tell if they are older or newer than this book. Do you think I should just take the whole box?” Asking this softly she is standing up and walking over to said box.

However, as she walks over she is not alone in her movements at the male is trailing her movements. Book in his hand he beats her over to the pile and places the book carefully on top. As she expects moments late his hand is grasping at the box for grip to which he seems to find.

“No, Betty you found it I will help you bring it back to the room” he states simply.

While it’s sweet, and if she’s honest it does make her want to smile at how eagerly he says this she is soon looking to where she knows he was both branded and stabbed and well. The look of concern isn’t something she tries to hide.

“Archie, I know it doesn’t hurt as much, but well, we can’t afford for you to hurt yourself doing something like this. What if you pull a stick and I don’t think we have any thread around that can be safe enough” concerned ranting is harder to stop than some would assume.

“Betty, I know I’m not going to be able to wrestle some guy off a balcony right now but if I can’t lift a simple box than what good am I here?” softly asking this he doesn’t loosen his grip on the box nor does he pick it up.

What did Archie think he was here for? It was to help him, but was he feeling like a burden? Lightly rubbing at her eyes for a moment she tries to ignore Archie’s brown puppy eyes. You would think after seeing them for more than twelve years she would be used to them eventually. Soon enough she just sighs and well almost gives in. Walking a step closer she can’t help but lightly flinch at the way the floor groans under her. Right spooky hotel. How could she forget.

“Archie there’s a lot of things I’m going to do, I’m not going to make you feel useless because you are as far from that as can be but I’m not going to let you do this” saying this with a soft look she might pull the puppy dog eyes out. When one person does it that makes it okay for the other person to do it too okay. Surely.

Soon enough his grip on the box is lessening, and soon enough he’s just standing up straight with nothing.

“If it gets to let heavy me at least help you hold it”, he gently says, and it feels good that he does so.

“So, we bring this to our room, and we look next door?” she states, and she can tell he wants to laugh at how effortlessly she skims over what he said.

“That sounds like a plan. I was also thinking that maybe you should out that jacket on the bed until we go back in later, just in case you don’t want to add more cobb webs to the collection” and with that he’s looking down at a sleeve.

Following his eyes, she looks confused and a bit worried for a moment, but then she realises there is nothing and he is just pulling her leg. Grumbling under her breath she is bending down and picking up the box, leaving the room he ghosts her before he races to open the door for the both of them.

“You are an ass you know that,” she says with a small hint of a smile on her face.

With a small chuckle Archie doesn’t quite respond with words to that. It’s not too far from their room so Archie doesn’t seem to find the need to go into with her seemingly as he stops at the door before there’s. Stopping when she noticed that he stopped she regards him with a confused look for a moment. The paintings. Right. They were quite the sight she supposed for someone who wasn’t used to looking at them very often.

“I’ll just put these in the room, Arch are you okay?” asking this softly it feels weird to ask so delicately, but the way he gazes at the paintings makes her worry slightly. Archie wasn’t typically one for staring at religious paintings no matter how odd they looked.

“Yeah, I’m okay Betts, I just have to figure out where I have seen these before. Do you want help bringing them in the room or?” he asks. She knows he wants her to ask him to carry the box instead, his hand is twitching in the familiar way.

Trying not to laugh she just instead shakes her head. It was a kind gesture, but she wasn’t going to give up that easily okay.

“I won’t take too long” she states, and Archie doesn’t fight her on it which she secretly really likes she thinks to herself.

Though Archie still finds it within himself to walk away from the painting and open the door for her, it’s clear by the way he walks away from the door he is going back to looking at it. The door closing she’s turning around and looking towards the bed, it’s not too much of a stroll, and the books are there. The bed lightly complains, but as she cleans up the pile of books on the bed and letting the ugly container thump to the floor at the very least, it doesn’t have to worry about that.

The book in the closest shade to the one Archie and she looked at is quite dirty she finds; the spine is worn, and it seems to have been used more than once. Speaking of dirty, looking to the sleeve she finds that it is indeed still not dirty yet. So, she is gently putting the worn book on the stack once again. Taking a step back from the bed she is undoing the buttons to it. The design isn’t as sleek as the newer ones so her fingers fumbling only makes thing worse as she tries to take out each button but slowly but surely it is undone.

It is tossed and barely misses the pile that she had made. It would probably be better to not have to explain to Archie why there was a loud crashing noise. Pulling her risen shirt back down to her belt she doesn’t try to glance at a mirror, maybe later she would go into the bathroom but right now Archie and her were looking around. So, with that she is walking back out to meet up with the redhead.

No longer looking at the painting he is instead looking towards the door she comes through in. His eyes seem to go a bit softer when he sees her, but she reasons that why wouldn’t he find comfort in seeing someone he knew here? Hopefully she would be better than any creep that went around this place. With a smile back, she walks over towards him.

“We found money and a pile of weird homework, if that doesn’t prove that there’s only better stuff to find I do not know what will” he joked. And well, you would think that after the stuff they had seen today and the night before they would at least get a name for the person who owned the jacket.

“You know what Archie, I think when we look around we’ll find exactly what we need to understand everything about this place”.

 

They found nothing. Maybe starting a search with so much success wasn’t very good for their long-term ego as the next two rooms they search gives them nothing of value. The room in between them and the one they found the money in, and the room between them and the stairs seems to only hold beds and empty cupboards. Of course, they stuff their hand in through the linen, and they indeed even at one point tried to feel in there could be anything in a weak point in a wall and well. They find that the wall is just weak and doesn’t have anything more than that.

Going down the stairs is tempting but the pair don’t do much more than look down it before they keep along the hall path. Neither of them look at the paintings as they walk through either, Betty sparing Archie the occasional glance to find this of course. There was something to Archie’s look before, but the blonde doesn’t know how to breach that topic right now. She still had things to tell him, and he still had things tell her. Time was something they could wait for now at the very least.

Lost in thought Betty just follows in the others path for a moment, it isn’t till she bumps into Archie’s still form that she realises they are at the next door. Not flinching at the sudden contact with the blonde he offers a hand on her shoulder in comfort and shoots her a concerned look. ‘Something isn’t right with you’, she can read it in his eyes and she doesn’t want to explain why she isn’t, so she just smiles like she doesn’t understand at all. Things were messy enough right now without adding her lot to the pile.

Reaching her hand out to the door the male pulls his hand from her shoulder back to his side. In front of them the door looks like any other that they had seen thus far, thought the handle looks worn from use. The colouring was just too faded compared to the rest of the doors they had seen. Things normally aged at the same pace, why could this door have received so much attention? Hand gripping around the nob she attempts to turn it but all she gets in return is a stubborn door. Locked?

“We have to see what is inside there” he silently said to her.

Nodding there was no way that they would skip this room, it might have been by chance that they had found a locked room. Maybe the room just had a busted door and all they would find was cobwebs but there was not anyway they could just give up on this lead now. So, jiggling the handle a bit more she adds more pressure as if the lock would break, or maybe the door was just stuck, and it would pop. So she does this for a couple more seconds, it doesn’t seem to make the door any more loose or easy to deal with so she stops.

“Maybe I could just push it open, like just throw my weight against the door and push it off the hinges?” he softly asks looking to Betty than the door.

Covering her face with her hand, Betty quickly wipes her face with them.

“Archie, I know I said carrying was not a good idea for the moment, but I also meant to say that activates that needed you to shove your body into things was a bad idea as well,” she said this as nicely as she could of course. “But can you check the lock? I know you, and your dad did some construction work together, maybe you could have a better chance of knowing how to crack it open”.

Archie’s dad. The young male smiles quite fondly as he no doubt is thinking of his dad. Maybe Jug was right about his enthusiasm about finding out the mystery of the game, maybe Betty couldn’t keep holding things back from group when they talked. Smiling back, she knew what she had to bring up the next meeting, and while she didn’t trust that witch of a woman as far as she could throw her it was what she needed to do.

“I mean my dad did show me how to tell how old or new they were. Something about how the key design is done and how the metal conforms around the key” saying this thoughtfully it’s clear he’s recalling memories.

Not wanting to over think what the other just told her she nods and trusts that Archie isn’t just saying things he just made up. Archie wasn’t the kind of person to be able to make up things on the fly and feel comfortable about lying like that. So, she is moving away from the lock and with a gesture she welcomes the other to walk over to it and have a look for himself. Bending down to be at eye level with the lock he is quick to close one eye and began what she assumed was observing the lock carefully.

“It looks new, it is kinda weird though the lock looks really new but the wear damage around the nob looks like it’s been here for years” Archie begins he is still looking at the lock, so he is obviously still trying to see if there is more to see. “I don’t think me shoving against it would have worked anyway, the lock looks like it can absorb that kinda tension. We need to lock pick it I think”.

With that he is standing up and looking at Betty hopefully. Why couldn’t Cheryl be here? Of all the moments she needed that redheaded female in her life this would definitely be in the top three moments. Ignoring the absence of the skilled pickpocket she tries to think about how she really doesn’t have anything on her right now to do it with.

“Maybe we could go back to the room and get some of my bobby pins? I don’t know if they’d help with a lock like this, but it’s better than nothing right?” she hopefully asks.

“I mean it’s worth giving a shot, I think this lock can take some damage, so I don’t see the hurt in trying” the other sounds confident in her while he says this. How often did he think that she needed to lock pick her way out of situations? Okay, it was more often than it was before that Summer but still.

“You stay here, and I’ll get them from the room” she instructs simply.

Archie looks like he wants to protest, this wasn’t the time to exactly split up, that was after all why they paired up and why they offered Jug to pair up with them. But he is thinking for a moment, and soon enough he’s nodding.

“If something happens just call out okay” it’s a simple request, and she knows that she would have done it anyway but well. Whatever makes the other feel more comfortable really.

“As long as you do the same thing,” she asks in return.

With a nod from the other she turns around and starts to make her way down the hall way. It’s tempting to look up to the paintings, but she doesn’t there wasn’t any need to and there was more than enough to be brought up about them later anyhow. Could the sisters of quiet mercy really have something to do with the game? It seemed like a stretch to guess that the sisters were here by paintings alone, but the older woman’s words rang in her ears as she walked down the hall. There was no point in hiding her thoughts from even herself anymore.

It is when she goes past the room by the stairs that she hears the sound of the floor creaking, though they are old why wouldn’t they creak? Archie is also just down the hall and of course if he had seen something he would say something to her. With that thought it mind she is walking until she reaches her room pulling at the nob she reaches to open and slips it. Lightly closing the door she doesn’t bother to see if the door had closed all the way.

Jugheads bag is opened ever so slightly, and as she walks over and looks through it, she doesn’t take long to pull out the bobby pins. The little black things in her hands look tiny but as she adds a couple more to the pile at least if one breaks she would have some backups. If they worked at all of course. Tucking them away into her pocket she finds herself not closing the bag yet, looking through the clothes she finds nothing but items of clothes they would need to clean when they had the time.

Dropping the clothes back in the bag she tenses and prepares herself for someone to come in and she was ready to fight if it wasn’t Archie and Jug. It wasn’t either of them, but she felt more confused than scared. That woman. Though the tight bun is replaced with instead a neat pony tail. The other isn’t surprised to see her however as she enters the room and begins to dust around like she didn’t just enter without knocking. Of course while she curses that she didn’t lock the door before she came in it wasn’t like there was a lock to begin with. Oh the lock, she better get back to Archie before he began to worry. Though the woman in front of her brought a new set of issues.

“I’m sorry to intrude on your cleaning but um, what are you doing?” she asks with a hint of annoyance. Cursing that she lost her filter for a moment, it was saved with the fact the other doesn’t seem to understand or care about sarcasm.

“I have to keep the rooms clean, he won’t be here today, but my mum always told me to keep it clean for when he came back. It’s what we have to do, and I don’t mind” she sings almost as she dusts.

When he comes? It couldn’t be the same person who owned the Riverdale High stuff right? Maybe it would be for the best if she didn’t press to hard into questions, yet the reporter in her didn’t want to just give up on this opportunity to understand this place better.

“Who is he? Does he come here often? What does he mean to this place?” Betty questions one after the other.

But the other doesn’t flinch, nor does she even stop her cleaning to look at Betty. Instead, she seems to feel the need to hum, and as she murmurs she moves her body to the movement of the words.

“Sugar gum, sugar yum. Give me lots of sugar mum” the song seems to be something she is used to as it loops over and over with no sign of faltering on any of the words.

“Are you okay” reaching a hand out as she says, so the young woman doesn’t seem to care for the hand that approaches her, but she doesn’t look annoyed. Avoiding Betty, she walks over to the bed, oh right they had stolen from this place.

Half expecting the other to get annoyed or turn angry at the sight of the things what she didn’t expect was the other to instead look at them fondly. Bending down to pick up the box that had fallen she was quick to pick up the books and stacked them in order of age; the ugly worn book looked odd in her hands as she gently stroked the cover. Standing up she is going straight to the jacket, and before Betty can ask what she is doing, she is picking up the jacket.

Folding the jacket carefully it’s placed on the pillow, with a few pats and a fond smile the other walks over to Betty.

“I have to go, don’t forget to eat dinner~” she kindly says before walking over the room.

Not sure of what to do or say Betty stands there for what feels like an eternity. Looking from the jacket, to the books now nicely stacked in the books in the box and back to the door that she just left in. Okay something else to talk to the boys about. Biting at her lip she is walking through the door, Archie is bending down and is once again looking at the lock. Deep in thought Archie doesn’t look up until she was right behind him. When the male does look at her he smiles, and his shoulders drop in their tenseness.

“I think I figured out a good way to use the bobby pins, I mean if we did them from this angle it could work” he states looking back over the lock.

“I think I have a better idea; there is definitely a key. There is this woman, and I think she is in charge here, she apparently cleans the place and keeps it running for this man” she states and even though she sounds crazy Archie doesn’t look at her like she is.  Maybe she should have explained it a bit better, but Archie is moving away from the door and towards the stairs.

“We should probably tell this to Jug too,” he says looking over towards the stairs. Explaining it to the both of them would probably for the best she supposed.

Hopefully Jughead found something. Hopefully, he also was a bit calmer from this morning.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the season has continued so things are definitely going to be feeling very different from the show so be ready haha
> 
> i hope you guys liked this chapter

**Author's Note:**

> I’m hoping to have the chapters be this length or longer? So a chapter a week maybe probably. Depending on work. It’s pretty different from what I’m used to writing but I hope you guys like it
> 
> edited; 4/01/2019


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